WINNIPEG (Staff) – The Manitoba government gave Churchill’s marketing agency a $125,000 grant last week to put toward promoting traffic through the beleaguered northern port.
Industry, trade and tourism minister Jim Downey also said a loan of $125,000 would be available in 1997-98 if the agency needs it.
Terry Duguid, president of the Gateway North Marketing Agency, said the government pledged the money about six months ago, but last week’s announcement makes it official.
“We’re very pleased that the province is fully on board,” Duguid said.
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The Saskatchewan government earlier pledged $250,000 over five years to the agency. But Duguid said that funding depends on the agency raising money from the province’s private sector.
For example, if the agency arranged for peas to be shipped through the port, Duguid said the shipper may make a contribution to the agency, which would elicit some funding from the Saskatchewan government.
The federal government will also loan the agency $540,000 over the next two years.
Duguid said the port expects its first ship by the first week of August, and it will take between 25,000 to 30,000 tonnes of wheat to Brazil.
Duguid said he’ll have a better idea in September of what the port will handle this year, when new crop conditions will be clear.
